An institution that “…contributes to the education of young Greek citizens in the scientific and technical fields.An institution that “…contributes to the education of young Greek citizens in the scientific and technical fields.“

Born in Didymoteicho (1882) but based in Constantinople, Eugene Eugenides was an active and restless businessman. In Istanbul, he was involved in the import of timber, but after 1922 he settled in Piraeus to take over the agency of the Swedish Orient Line. The Scandinavian Near East Agency S.A. imported Scandinavian timber to Greece and gradually to the entire Near East. It was distinguished by its ability to anticipate developments and recognize business opportunities, investing in the coal trade and the establishment of the passenger shipping company Home Lines, initially sailing ships to South America and Australia and then to North America. America and Australia, and then to North America.

Eugenides died in 1954, leaving in his will the wish to establish a foundation in Greece with the aim of providing technical and scientific education to young Greeks, as he foresaw that our country was not following the same direction as the rest of Europe in this field.

Εugene Eugenides| Credits e.f

Indeed, on February 10, 1956, the Eugenides Foundation was established by Royal Decree, with Marianthi Simou as its Director-Administrator. There were many shortcomings in technical education, and the Foundation immediately proceeded to award scholarships to young graduates of technical schools for further training abroad, writing and publishing technical education books, and building a Technical Center, which would house: a Technical and Scientific Library, physics and technical exhibition halls, a planetarium, an amphitheater and lecture halls where scientific and technical conferences and lectures would be held.

Excerpt from the will of Eugene Eugenides|Photo Credits e.f.

This year, the Foundation celebrates 70 years of operation and, alongside its regular activities, has planned a series of events to mark the anniversary. The celebrations will begin in Evros, both for practical and symbolic reasons, as this is the birthplace of Eugenios Eugenides. However, most of the events will take place at the Foundation’s premises in Athens: Science and Technology Festival, training programs for young sailors, discussions on the future of technological and scientific education, new challenges and needs.